Dr Karo Ogbinaka, Chairman, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU),University of Lagos Chapter, on Monday said that he had yet to get over the shock of seeing Prof. Festus Iyayi die.
Iyayi, a one-time president of ASUU, died in an accident near Lokoja on Nov. 12, on his way to Kano to attend a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the union.
The meeting was expected to deliberate on the way forward for the four-month old strike of the union, after the Federal Government made a fresh offer.
Ogbinaka told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos: “I still cannot believe that Iyayi is dead because I was at the scene of the accident where it happened.
“I witnessed the gory scene with blood stains all over the place as I can still remember struggling to assist our dear colleagues; believe me, it was too painful to see Iyayi die the way he did.
“There was confusion in Kano and at the scene of the accident. Indeed it was a terrible and shocking sight to behold; we are indeed, deep in grief”.
The unionist said that the NEC suspended the Kano meeting that was to be held with Iyayi in attendance in order to do what was befitting of their fallen colleague.
According to Ogbinaka, the NEC members have been meeting with the family of the deceased to give him a befitting burial.
“We think we should give the NEC some time to get over the entire arrangements and then have some time to put themselves together before they start considering reconvening the postponed meeting,” he said.
Ogbinaka said that it was only when the ASUU executives were fully settled that they would assemble executives of all the state chapters, for the way forward over the issue of the protracted strike.
NAN reports that university lecturers– under the aegis of ASUU– on July 1 began an indefinite strike in public universities across the country.
The lecturers are on strike in protest of the non-implementation of some issues in an agreement ASUU signed with the Federal Government in 2009. (NAN)
Commentaires